The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-06-09
OUTPOST LIFE,
A "SOft Job" on the Shore of Lake
POntchartrain.
BY f. h. LuFKrN, co. f, 18TH ME-, WELD, NE

BY Il. n. LuFKIN, co. Z, 18TH ME-, WELD, NE.
Early in the morning Of Aug. "a. 1863, the
18th Me. left Forts jackson and st. Philip on
the steamer Arago bound for New Orleans.
Arriving there just before noon, in the after
noon we landed and marched 10 the Custom
House, where we were CHARTERED, relieving the
Goth Mass. Just before dark Co. l. was de-
tailed to 20 TO Lakeport the next day on out
post duty. In the afternoon of the 25th we
therefore marched TO the Penchartrain Depot
and took the cars for Lakeport, where we re-
lieved a company of the Goth Mass, and got
settled in our new quarters just before dark.
Lakeport-legally the Milneburg suburb, a
part Of the third municipality OF New Orleans
is situated on the south shore Of Lake Point
chartrain, about five miles from the Mississippi
River. Here are the repair-shop, engine house,
car-sheds, etc, Of the railroad, and the exceed
ingly long wharf OF the Mobile and Pensacola
steamers. At that time the railroad and steam
boat business was the principal support of the
place; and this statement would, probably, not
need much revision TO make it true at the pres
ent time. 1t used, however. TO be quite a
fashionable evening and Sunday pleasure re-
sort, containing one or two heightened hotels
and numerous saloons and bathing houses. 1t
still continues so TO some extent; but as the
course Of empire has taken its way westward,
Spanish Fort Park and West End have been
more favored by the Americans, especially the
Weather ones, while Lakeport has been left to
the Creoles and the poorer classes. Our COM
pany while there quartered in a dance-hall,
with a cook-room connected, belonging 10 a
hotel. Better quarters could not have been
asked for.
OUR DUTY AT LAKEPoRT
was principally to guard against the smuggling
Of supplies-especially quinine and percussion
caps-across the lake into the rebel lines A
detachment, consisting OF Lieutenant, a Ser
geant, a Corporal and II privates, guarded
Bayou st. John-otherwise known as the Caron-
delet Canal, the Sergeant and four men being
quartered in a bathing house near the mouth
of the canal, and the rest of the detachment in
a little village known by the aesthetic name of
Dogtown, aud situated at the point where the
carriage road from New Orleans TO Lakeport
crossed the canal. One man at each place had
to be constantly on guard. One man was also
kept on guard on the whsnf at Lakeport. These
sentries had TO prevent boats from leaving in
the night and examine all those arriving or
departing in the daytime, TO see that the per-
sons and supplies on board were according 10
their permits. The sentry on the wharf had
also TO guard, and TO prevent smoking in the
vicinity Of some cars loaded with ammI milton,
which were kept on the outer end OF tho wharf
as the least dangerous place in the vic. nifty OF
the city. As rule, these three sentries were
all the duty that was required from the COM
pany in the daytime; but in the night the
shore had TO be closely watched for three miles,
from Bayou ST. John 10 the impenetrablc
swamp nearly two miles east of Lakeport, so
that each man in the company had TO be on
guard half of every night. The shore in the
vicinity OF the upper canal was at the same
time guarded by company from the 18th Me.
But few seizures were made, as the shore was
so closely watched that there were very few
attempts at smuggling. One slo0p was seized
Oct. s, which came from Mobile with two
Frenchmen on board carrying a rebel mail
Among other letters in the mail were orders
for goods from merchants in Mobile 10 mer-
chants in New Orleans. and on board the sloop
was tobacco with which 10 pay for them. After
being captsred, the Frenchmen tried to destroy
the mail by throwing il into the water, but
were prevented by the sentry who was watch.
ing them.
ORR FARE
was strictly first class. The only things lack.
ing were milk and butter, which were both
scarce and poor. The army rations were ex.
cellent, but quite portion of them were sold
and the proceeds expended for vegetables and
fresh fish. Potatoes, both sweet and Irish were
plenty at reasonable prices. Oysters and fish
were cheap. Catfish, mullet sea-trout, red
snappers, shrimps crabs and sardines afforded
a variety sufficient for every one. Fruit Of
several kinds could be obtained on a proper
requisition countersigned by crooked fingers
and toward the last Of our stay the pecan nut:
on Gentlly Ridge were ripe. OF these the sol
diers gathered large part on shares, but pos
sibly the division was not satisfactory to tn,
owners. as their share was left on the trees
There was a very large pecan tree in the little
Jewish cemetery, called Hebrews Rest, at the
foot Of the ridge on the west side of the rail
road, which yielded several bushels.
QUEER FISH.
Some Of the fish in the lake were curiositie
20 u.s. aud would be to any Northern man
The catfish were the same as those which in
habit the Mississippi and its tributaries almos
10 their head waters. They are very simila
TO our Eastern horn pout, having the same opei
conference.-the pen-and the same thorns
| They are, however, very much larger, occasion
ally reaching a weight of nearly 200 pounds
The shrimps were like those on the New Eng
land coast, but larger, some Of them being 81,
1 inches or more in length. The sardines wer
about the length of a mans finger and were a
near no color at all as it is possible for a fish b
| be. Every one had parasitic worm perma
nently quartercd in groove in the roof of il
mouth. i have examined hundreds of them
aud every one had its parasite. A fish com
monty known as the "stingaree" (properl,
round, about foot in diameter, with tail al
most like rats tail, foot long. On the tail
two or three inches from the body, was a hOr
like ROSTERS spur, which was said 10 make
! poisonous wound. Stingarees were considere,
a great delicacy by the New Orleans Creole.
who spent much time fishing for them. Whe
one was caught his horn was cut OF before h
was taken from the hook. A little red shark
which grew in Lake Pontchartrain 10 a lengt
OF two or three feet, was also used for food b
the Creoles. Nearly all the bayous in Louis
ana contain garlsh, and those in Bayou S
John were of the largest size. One was caugt
by Jerry 0sgood, of Co. L, which was MOI
than five feet long. The garfish is shape
much like pickerel and notified in about I'll
same way, but of different color. They al
said 10 grow 10 a length Of 10 or - feet, an
the soldiers Of our regiment when bathing wei
much more afraid Of them than Of alligators.
POOR PIGGY.
In Lakeport, as in all Southern towns at IN;
time, the pigs were allowed the freedom of Il
streets, and nearly every day some of the
were prowling about our cook-house lOOkiu
for something 10 eat. 1t is a singular fact tn;
quite often one Of them would meet with a
accidental death from a brick dropping upo
his head, or some similar cause, and by a Ct
rious coincidence Co. + Just about as often Ia
baked pig for dinner. The connection betwcC
the two events is a mystery which has new,
been fully investigated.
One day in October some Of Co. Els "ponies
were hunting with their rifles in the WOO,
near the village, when they came upon thr,
quite large pigs. Seeing an old club-footC
darby near by burning charcoal, they askC
him who the pigs belonged TO. He replied th
T they were wild hogs and didn't belong TO an,